Army of Me
by RouletteDares
Summary: When the Battle of Hogwarts commences, Ginny Weasley is distracted with a battle all her own. Ginny Centric. Loosely based on Bjork's song of the same name.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; I am not affiliated with any company or individual who takes claim on Harry Potter or any other character from the book series nor do I take credit for the wonderful song whose title is used for the name of this story.

I wish I were as creative as J.K. Rowling, alas, I am not- so I borrowed her characters for the purpose of entertaining a possible alternative to the final story. (By the way, if you want fluff, you won't find it here) Okay, enjoy!

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><p>The quick turn of events could have alarmed anyone into questioning the state of their sanity; but Ginny Weasley took it tougher than most.<p>

Only a few months prior, life had been as average and sufficient as could be expected, given the circumstances; but one day, one specific moment, had tilted her world on its axis and she wasn't sure if the balance would ever be established again.

A jet of green light flashed past her arm and she instantly woke from her reverie. This was a fight she could not afford to lose. All her preparation led to this.

_You're pathetic._

Harry had finally emerged from "the search" and his return brought Ginny the bittersweet feeling of pride, liberation, hope; but most importantly it struck her nerves, it summoned fear. The reality of the war sunk in and from the moment he stepped foot into Hogwarts, she knew it would be the new way of life.

Another hex flew over her shoulder and she jerked her body just in time to avoid its damage.

_Wake up, Weasley!_

Her mum battled on daringly; ever so protective of her young- if it hadn't been for Molly Weasley, Ginny would have met her demise long before the bout had begun. She stared at her mother in admiration before she noticed her yelling "Stupefy!" at the death eater that stood only a few feet away. The screams pierced her ears and the curses that shot out from every active wand foiled her view, but she felt his presence- even with the momentary loss of her senses.

"Ginny!" Her mother cried out, "This area is clear; we've got to find your brothers!" Reaching for her elbow, Molly dragged her daughter along into the clearing, being optimistic in her search. She vaguely heard their names as her mum belted them out, the raw sound that rose from her throat paralleled some of Ginny's own trepidation.

Suddenly, silence dawned on the grounds, followed by a temporary relief. Ron was spotted. He dashed to his mum's side, all the while trying to read his sister's expression. For the first time in weeks, she spoke.

"Ron, you great prat! Mum almost suffered a heart attack because of you!"

But the moment for bonding was cut short when Harry's voice rung out, "Now Ron!"

Determined, Ron nodded his head in the affirmative and sent meaningful glances at his family before rushing off again. It was time.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If at the end of that hour, you have not come to me- have not given yourself up- then the battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me.

"One hour."

Suddenly, the death eaters were gone and time sped up, almost comically so. Molly and Ginny linked hands as they ran towards their family.

"_You are so naïve; soon you will see my way, and when you do, everything that you've come to learn, the life you live, will be a grand disappointment_."

His silver eyes hunted her, he witnessed her grief when she found her brother laying still- he fought the urge to smirk, now was not the time for "I told you so's".

She caught his stare and locked eyes with him- she finally understood what he meant when she tried to make peace.

xxx

"_Oh, Merlin!"_

"_Look Malfoy, I'm not asking to be in your good graces- I really don't need your approval, but things here at Hogwarts are different now and you know it. Harry is gone and so are Hermoine and my brother. Whatever animosity you held towards them, and they towards you, should not involve me!"_

"_I'm sorry;" he scoffed "perhaps you weren't present last term, when I was Bat-Bogeyed by a certain red-headed witch. You had no problem being involved then."_

_A blush crept up her cheeks and she responded with a meek "I apologize."_

"_You're pathetic." he responded, sneering at her response "You have no idea of the mistake you've made, Weasley, trailing behind your beloved Harry Potter like a mindless zealot. You are so naïve; soon you will see my way, and when you do, everything that you've come to learn, the life you live, will be a grand disappointment. You can try all you may to make peace, but your future is set in stone. You will regret the day you insulted my family and opposed the Dark Lord's views. Soon enough, you will be living in your very worst nightmare." His menacing look made her squirm. "Although…" his voice lingered before continuing "You _are _pureblood and that may be credible for something. Everything shall be proven within time; there may be hope for you, yet- and we will see, in that time, if you were reasonable, holding Potter up in that pedestal." _

xxx

With her surroundings spinning in circles, enclosing around her, Ginny Weasley let out a howl to raise the dead, but her efforts were for naught, Fred was only a cadaver now. Stunned with despair, she wept for a few more minutes until she could cry no more. As a final tear traced the curve of her cheek, she pushed her dread aside. She broke away from her remaining family, who were too distraught to notice her departure from the group, and made a bee-line towards the boy who held all the answers. Her spine grew stronger with each step, her chin rose higher. She steeled herself for a duel to death if that's what it took to seek retribution.

He was expecting her appearance, he knew he shook her- but despite the derailment, he predicted that she'd recover quickly.

Her arm outstretched, wand drawn and steady for the quarrel of her life, she flared off a curse that was intended to wound. He dodged it, giggling like a young girl, and pointed his weapon directly at her.

For what seemed like hours, there was a chorus of spells spilling from their lips. They were lucky to evade each other's attacks, but as their bodies grew wearisome, and their brains lethargic, their targets were dangerously increasing closer towards the mark.

"Crucio!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Sectum Sempra!"

"Protego!"

"Expeliarmus!"

Her mind made to reach for her wand as it loosened from her grip, but her delayed reaction caused a new vulnerability. What would Malfoy do with her at his mercy- knowing she was disarmed?

He cackled wildly at the irony.

"Just get it over with." She demanded, resigned.

As his hand tightened over the wand, his knuckles turned white. Here she was, Ginny Weasley, standing inferiorly in front of him, as she should be- practically begging for death. He always envisioned Potter in her position, but being that he wasn't, he would have to make due. But for some reason, her words resounded in his mind.

"_I apologize."_

If he did this now, those words would forever haunt him, as well as that innocent look on her face when she said them.

"_I apologize."_

"Please." She croaked, her voice betraying her as the tears began to fall again.

She looked almost angelic as the evening sky cast a reddish color over her skin, even with the smudges of dirt, blood stains, and deflated posture, Ginny Weasley looked pure and innocent. She did not deserve to die at the hands of a Malfoy. She did not deserve to be murdered. Not for this new regime that wasn't even full-proof. He sighed as he tossed over her wand; and she caught it in mid-air.

"Malfoy?"

"Go, before I change my mind."

"It never had to be this way; you know that, don't you?"

After a moment, he looked her dead-on and for the first time in his life said the words he never thought he would.

"I apologize."

"Me, too." She admitted, before raising her wand and whispering the one unforgivable curse that could never be taken back. Just like the tears she shed.

xxx

"_Is it true, Malfoy? _You_ were the one that tried to kill Dumbledore?" _

"_Perhaps."_

"_How could you?" a rage filled her chest, as she fought to catch her breath._

_He only laughed before replying. "Let me guess, you thought because I held two civil conversations with you, that I was a changed man?"_

"_I thought we'd at least gotten past considering each other enemies."_

"_Be that as it may," he paused "what made you think I'd share all the intricate details of my life with you?" _

"_I didn't."_

_He simply raised a pointed eyebrow and shook his head._

_She continued, "Is it so hard to overlook our families? Our past? I only wanted to make peace!"_

"_Oh, Merlin!"_

"_Look Malfoy, I'm not asking to be in your good graces- I really don't need your approval, but things here at Hogwarts are different now and you know it. Harry is gone and so are Hermoine and my brother. Whatever animosity you held towards them, and they towards you, should not involve me!"_

_After she was dismissed from the conversation, she walked off in a trance._

"_You are so naïve; soon you will see my way, and when you do, everything that you've come to learn, the life you live, will be a grand disappointment._

"_Soon enough, you will be living in your very worst nightmare"_

_The words immediately embedded into her brain; she attempted to strategically piece them together. What could they mean? The only result that came to mind was the possibility of Voldemort taking over. But so long as Harry Potter lived, his reign would be kept at bay. _

_That night she ran to her dorm and cried, and with only an hour of sleep, she decided that Draco Malfoy wasn't worth her time; no matter how skewed her opinion of him was. No matter how much she thought she fancied him. When the time came, she would do what was right._

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><p>Author's note: Hope you aren't mad at me! I am absolutely obsessed with the DG pairing (more than you would know) but I really wanted to take a different approach on the subject. Having read so many uncharacteristic love stories- I really wanted to keep them true to form and I hope I achieved that while giving you a decent dose of attraction, at the very least.

Voldemort's speech from Deathly Hallows is quoted in this story and, in case you didn't notice, the plot is sequential to that of the final battle- excluding the actual conclusion.

Feel free to review; I won't get mad. Honest!


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